Too Late to Apologize
by VaveAma92
Summary: [SMacked] What happened during and after the last scene of 'The Thing about Heroes' since Drew stalked both Mac and Stella. Starts out in Stella's POV then moves to Mac's. Please R&R!


_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own CSI or any part of the franchise. They belong to Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer, and CBS.

I heard a gun shot.

"Jimmy! No!" I heard a voice scream.

I heard another gunshot. Then more. _'What the hell is happening? Jimmy! Mac! OMG!'_

My legs can only move as fast as Flack's can as he breaks through the door. My concern goes to Jimmy as my cop instinct is still in 'go' mode. I reach for my radio.

"We need medical assistance immediately." _Oh, thank God. There he is_.

"Mac are you okay?" I ask grabbing his arm. He nodded only slightly, but his focus was on Jimmy and Andy/Drew. That right there told me that this wasn't the time to try to break through to him. I have to help Jimmy.

"Hold on Jimmy. You're going to be okay." I said to the poor man, as I rush to his side. _Thank God he has bullet proof vest on." _ I still know that it hurts like crap.

I know Drew is flailing right behind me. He must be the most ticked off man in the world right now.

"You're no hero Taylor! You're no hero!" he yelled as an officer hauled him away. '_What the hell is he talking about?'_

"You're going to be okay, Jimmy see?" I try to get the man to sit up. "You're going to be just fine."

I can hear Flack talk to Mac.-- "In a situation like this, we're trained to kill."

I looked at Mac, who eyes were trailing out the door.— "Not this time. They've been through enough already."

I watched as his attention turned to me and Jimmy. He knelt down next to me and placed his hand over mine, which was covering the wound. Jimmy might have a vest on, but he was shot with a shotgun. The blood was starting to spill from his wound. He grabbed Mac's arm.

"Mac! What's, what's gonna happen to, to me?" he asked, the pain obvious in his voice.

"We're going to get you medical assistance. Listen to me, Jimmy, you're gonna be just fine."

"This way!" I could hear Danny's voice in the distance.

"You see? They're here already." Said Mac. "Hold on Jimmy."

His voice was becoming frantic. We stood as the medics lifted him on the gurney and rushed him up to the vehicle. I have to call this in.

"We have an injured civilian being rushed to the hospital…"

When I turn around Mac is following me, keeping his hands in front of him. They were covered in blood. '_What?'_

I look at my hands. They too are covered in blood. Neither of us move to take care of that. Our concern is about Jimmy. I can feel Mac's presence next to me as we both watch the ambulance pull away out of the alley, wailing, lights bright, telling the rest of NYC that someone was hurt.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_He should be okay. God, I'm so tired._ I turn my attention to my best friend.

" Stella, let's get you cleaned up. Stella?" She didn't respond. She kept on watching the ambulance, even when it disappeared. My heart sank even lower as I watch as her gaze shift to her hands. They are covered in blood. Jimmy's blood.

"Stella? Are you okay?"

She tried to speak, but she can't get any words out. I see a hose on the side of the building.

"Come on." I say quietly as I place my hand in between her shoulder blades and lead her to the wall. I'm feeling mentally, emotionally and physically drained. But I guess that doesn't mean that Stella isn't.

I turn on the hose and help her wash the blood off her hands, and I do the same. I can see her traveling back into reality and she begins to wash her own.

"Are you okay?" I ask her again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She says, trying to smile. "I should really be asking you that question."

I shake my head and lean against the brick wall.

"I'll be fine."

She gave me a smirk.

"I know that. But…" she paused.

"But what?"

"Knowing you, it's going to take while before you reach that."

"I never did recover fully from that day, Stella."

"How come you never told me about that?" I grinned at her.

"Do expect me to tell you every little thing?" she rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I suppose not." I could see her face sadden.

"What's wrong Stella?"

"It's funny. It seems like every guy I meet outside the lab creates a plot in an attempt to kill me." She shook her head. "What did he say to you Mac? He must have said something to you about me?"

I thought for a moment. Yes. She was all he talked about before he brought up the whole 'You're no hero' issue.

"Well, he admired you for your mind, I can tell you that." He looked at her. _Darnit._ She had that 'Tell me what he really said or I'll take this hose and shove it down your throat' look.

I sighed. "He kept saying how he hoped you would the one to walk through that door and as I would watch you get shot and die, just like what had happened to his brother. He wanted me to experience the same pain of watching someone I know and am very close to die in front of my eyes while being unable to do anything."

There was a moment of silence between us.

"But you would never let that happen, would you?" she asked me softly. I stared at her, in total amazement.

"Of course not."

She smiled at me before turning her head away. She was always shy about showing her tears. I had to grin.

"You're my best friend right?" I asked her.

"Yeah." She said softly, her eyes twinkling.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Then you never need to worry about it." I said. I could feel her hair tickle my cheek.

"Mac, there are more men like Drew out there. What about them?" she asked me.

"We'll be ready for them. There will be others out there who want us to say we're sorry."

Stella looked at me and began to walk. We each had an arm around each other's shoulders.

"You didn't need to."

"No." I said. "It was just too late."

_It's too late to apologize_

_It's too late_

_It's too late to apologize_

_It's too late_

_I'm holding on your rope_

_Got me ten feet off the ground._

_Well, that was interesting. Yes, I am working on my 'So She Dances' fic. Don't worry. I loved 'The thing about Heroes' episode, so I had to type this up. __**Reviews would be lovely!!!**_


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